Anna-Maria Ekblad
Anna-Maria Ekblad has had numerous exciting experiences working as a tour guide—standing on the peak of Kilimanjaro, guiding tours in the Valley of the Kings, and leading cruises along the Nile.
The author of the Charter Crime series, she blends thrilling mysteries with travel, history, and culture. Drawing on 25 years in the international travel industry, she brings exotic destinations vividly to life—where sunshine and relaxation can turn into suspense and danger.
Inspired by Agatha Christie’s classic mysteries, Anna-Maria explores the psychology of crime and the fine line between victim and perpetrator. She lives by the words of H.C. Andersen, “To travel is to live,” and is guided by the belief that “every person I meet has something to teach me.” Through her stories, she invites readers to join her protagonist Anna Lindblom on unforgettable adventures around the world.
In addition to her crime novels, Anna-Maria has contributed to several anthologies, including Christmas Shadows (2022), Klaus (2023), and Family Ties (2023). In 2025, she also co-authored an article in the leadership book Leading – From Vision to Reality.
She lives outside Stockholm, Sweden, and has written four books in the Charter Crime series, with a total of fourteen planned.
Anna-Maria is one of the four founders of Storify.
Instagram: annamariaekblad
Series: Gone enigma
Travel Crime – the books about Anna Lindblom and her adventures around the world.
The Sisters on Crete
The Sisters on Crete is the first book in the innovative Charter Crime series about tour guide Anna Lindblom. Entertaining and lighthearted reading—perfect for vacation.
Anna is the new tour guide, starting her very first season in Greece.
She is curious and full of anticipation about what Crete has to offer.
But beneath the turquoise-blue idyll, something dark and sinister lurks. Within just one day, one of the charter guests is found dead in his hotel apartment. Was it suicide?
In the background, a secret society lies in wait—an ancient order that for thousands of years has helped women rid themselves of violent men—for good.
Anna cannot resist investigating what really happened. A quick online search of the travelers reveals several connections between them. She confides her suspicions to the charming police officer Stefanos, who supports her. But the rest of the Greek police urge her to stop digging.
Can Anna let it go—or is she actually on the trail of a killer?
Reviews:
“… This 262-page book offered a light and enjoyable reading experience. It delivered mystery, suspense, wonderful settings, and well-drawn characters. I appreciated that there was a character list at the beginning of the book. 👍 It was a true whodunit as well as a page-turner—perfect for summer reading. 👌☀️💦
I loved the mix of mystery, myths, and storytelling! This is definitely a series I want to read more of!!”
— Lasluslisen
“… This is a feminist novel about revenge. Revenge is said to be sweet—but at what price? The story highlights women who live with, or are connected to, violent men, and it is thought-provoking to read their reflections on their situations and what could possibly be done.
The book also explores what actions can be considered good, and when they cross the line into evil. There is no single answer—it depends on how you look at it. It really makes you think, and that is something I truly enjoyed.
The characters in the book are diverse, and following them on their vacation (or work) in Crete is captivating. They are well portrayed, with depth, feelings, and clear goals. The way they are all connected is cleverly written. People say the world is small, and that is absolutely true in The Sisters on Crete.
Another reason I was drawn to this book is Greece and its history. Crete is particularly interesting for me as a history enthusiast—I even wrote a school essay about Crete in junior high. “… Greek mythology is also highly fascinating, and it was beautifully woven into the story, which truly enriched the reading experience for me…”
— Evasboktankar
Original title: Systrarna på Kreta
Author: Anna-Maria Ekblad
Publication: August 2020
262 pages
Reading material: Full translation book
The Death Cliff in Sharm el-Sheikh
Murder on a school trip to Egypt.
Anna Lindblom’s season in Egypt has barely begun before she is drawn into a new case. A high school class arrives for what is meant to be an exciting and educational week in the country. But from the very start, a curse seems to hang over the trip.
Their teacher, Sofia, begins receiving threatening and false messages from someone who doesn’t want them to travel. Once in Egypt, one of the students, Nora, withdraws from the group. Then the worst happens. During a class excursion into the mountains, four students disappear.
It soon becomes clear that the conflicts within the group run deeper than anyone could have imagined. The disappearance becomes headline news in Sweden, and Anna is forced to deliver devastating news to the class.
High school is that time in life when everything feels like life and death—whether it’s school, work, friends, relationships, or love.
The Death Cliff in Sharm el-Sheikh is the second book in the series. Easy and engaging reading that takes readers to thrilling and exotic destinations.
Reviews for The Death Cliff in Sharm el-Sheikh
Bokannicka
I binge-read the Charter Crime novels: The Sisters on Crete & The Death Cliff in Sharm el-Sheikh.
We follow tour guide Anna Lindblom in her work with tourists. When deaths or children going missing occur, she can’t help but investigate—something not always appreciated…
I found book 2 even sharper than book 1.
The Sisters on Crete rating: 📘📘📘📘/5
The Death Cliff in Sharm el-Sheikh rating: 📘📘📘📘📘/5
Biula’s Books
The second book in the Charter Crime series about tour guide Anna Lindblom.
I had already read The Sisters on Crete, which I really enjoyed, so I had high expectations going into The Death Cliff in Sharm el-Sheikh. Right from the start, I was thrown into the action, and with a fast pace, Anna-Maria Ekblad masterfully blends holiday vibes, history, suspense, forbidden love, teenage turmoil, and young psychopaths into a captivating read.
We once again meet Anna Lindblom, the calm, grounded, northern Swedish tour guide from The Sisters on Crete, who now works in Sharm el-Sheikh. She is thrust straight into the tension while guiding a high school class on their school trip to Egypt, but her curiosity also drives her deeper into the mystery of death threats and missing teenagers.
This is a true page-turner, with steadily escalating suspense (at just the right level), twists, and cliffhangers. And if, like me, you enjoy history and religion, this is a real treat. I highly recommend The Death Cliff in Sharm el-Sheikh, as well as the first book in the series, The Sisters on Crete.
Rating: 🦋🦋🦋🦋+🐛
Original title: Dödsklippan i Sharm el-Sheikh
Author: Anna-Maria Ekblad
Publication: May 2021
256 pages
Reading material: Full translation book
The Deadly Games in Olympia
Murder in Greece shatters Olympic dreams
Competition is fierce among the elite swimmers at a training camp in Greece. But Olympic dreams soon fade when one of them is poisoned. Stefanos is assigned to the case and once again turns to tour guide Anna for help. A diary reveals that the victim carried many secrets—was someone dark enough to want her dead?
Reviews
“A tight and thrilling story where Anna-Maria, as always, manages to juggle many different characters in a smooth and accessible way, keeping the reader engaged at all times. Thumbs up 👍”
— @rocknrolldekektiverna
“My mind has just returned from the calm yet eventful Kalamata 🇬🇷. I got to experience wonderful nature descriptions, cheerful young athletes, poisonings, murder, grief, and despair—all delivered at the perfect pace and suspense.”
— Bokannicka
“Kalamata, Greece—elite-level swimming, deadly competition, and sudden death, intertwined with history and culture—are the ingredients in Anna-Maria Ekblad’s latest novel, The Deadly Games in Olympia, about tour guide Anna Lindblom. And what a fantastic combination it is! With every book I read about Anna Lindblom, I get a new favorite—the books just keep getting better and better.
As in the previous novels, the setting—or rather the destination—is crucial; after all, this is a charter crime series. With incredible knowledge of culture, customs, history, and nature, the author paints such a detailed picture that the reader is placed right at the heart of the action. It feels like being a passenger on that charter bus on the way to the hotel or excursion, or a guest at the local taverna.
On top of that comes the crime story, which doesn’t shy away from the most horrifying acts, yet is told in a way that can be seen as cozy crime, with elements of the psychological games behind the perpetrator’s actions. As usual, I reached the end of the book realizing I had no idea who the culprit was—the resolution felt both inevitable and yet completely surprising.”
— Biula’s Books
Original title: Dödsspelen i Olympia
Author: Anna-Maria Ekblad
Publication: May 2022
256 pages
The Angel of Death in Side
Holiday Tragedy
On the flight to Side, Julia and Elias’s son Aron suddenly falls ill. The much-needed vacation they had been looking forward to with their friends and families soon turns into a nightmare. The earlier tragedy of having already lost one child still casts deep shadows.
Once in Turkey, it becomes tour guide Anna’s responsibility to support the family. At the same time, she must deal with an incompetent manager and an insufferable guest who loudly complains about everything and everyone.
But Aron is not the only child to fall mysteriously ill—several others show the same symptoms. Is it just a coincidence, or is someone deliberately harming the children?
As Anna begins to investigate, betrayal and lies slowly rise to the surface.
Reviews:
“This is the fourth installment about Anna the tour guide. I’ve also read the three previous books, but I thought this one was the best. It was heartbreaking that a child died in this book, and the murderer turned out to be someone I didn’t suspect at all. A horrifying event that eventually was explained. So suspenseful, though very sad. The book gets 5 ✈✈✈✈✈ out of 5 ✈✈✈✈✈.”
— Evelina’s Book Tips
“Anna faces quite a few challenges in this story, both in her private life and in her work. As a mother, my heart ached when the story centered on children—yet I couldn’t put the book down. The detailed facts and settings stirred up my own wanderlust. A well-written novel I highly recommend.
Rating: 📘📘📘📘📘/5”
— BokAnnicka
“… I really enjoy charter crime novels—imagine getting both a thrilling story and the feeling of traveling in one beautifully written book. It puts you in a holiday mood and lets you escape the rainy everyday life straight to Turkey. The book is easy to read and absolutely impossible to put down.”
— Carina’s Reading Diary
Original title: Dödsängeln i Side
Author: Anna-Maria Ekblad
Publication: May 2023
256 pages
Rights sold: All rights available
Reading material: Full translation
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